On November 9, 11, 14 and 17, Eric Cutler joins the Vienna State Opera for his company debut as Bacchus in Richard Strauss’ Ariadne auf Naxos. Mr. Cutler sang his first performances of the role at Festival d’Aix-en-Provence in 2018, earning rave reviews and cementing him as one of today’s leading tenors in the Germanic repertoire.
“… Eric Cutler, once again proving himself a Straussian tenor of distinction. He sang his punishing music as if it were the easiest thing in the world. Where so many before have run out of gas, he had room to spare. He was also able to pull back and shade the tone ravishingly. The final few minutes saw Cutler opening up and soaring on high in the most memorable way.”(Operatraveller)
Presented initially to Viennese audiences in 2012, Sven-Eric Bechtolf’s staging brings an intimacy to the light-hearted work with minimalistic set design by Rolf Glittenberg and effective costuming by Marianne Glittenberg. This production will also feature Camilla Nylund as Ariadne, Christina Bock as Komponist, Caroline Wettergreen as Zerbinetta, Thomas Eberstein as Tanzmeister, and Michael Arivony as Harlekin, among others. Thomas Guggeis conducts.
Eric Cutler will begin his 2022-23 season with a highly anticipated role debut as Siegmund in Die Walküre with Zürich Opera. He has previously sung leading Wagnerian roles such as Erik in Der fliegende Holländer and the titular character of Lohengrin with several internationally renowned companies including the Bayreuth Festival, Houston Grand Opera, La Monnaie and Vienna State Opera.
This new production marks the second installment of Andreas Homoki’s Ring Cycle for Zürich which will be musically led by the renowned conductor, Gianandrea Noseda. Mr. Cutler will share the stage with Christof Fischesser as Hunding, Tomasz Konieczny as Wotan, Daniela Köhler as Sieglinde, Patricia Bardon as Fricka, Camilla Nylund as Brünnhilde, Sarah Cambidge as Helmwige, Julie Adams as Gerhilde, Justyna Bluj as Ortlinde, Anna Werle as Waltraute, Simone McIntosh as Siegrune, Susannah Haberfeld as Rosweisse, Freya Apffelstaedt as Grimgerde and Nana Dzidziguri as Schweiterleite.
Today, the 72 recordings that form the second round of the Gramophone Classical Music Awards 2022 are revealed in a free-to-view digital magazine. From this list of celebrated recordings, an album will be chosen as the winner in each of the 11 recording categories, and from that shortlist, a single album will be named ‘Recording of the Year’ on October 4.
“Dès lors, son duo avec l’Erik d’Eric Cutler sera d’une puissance terrassante : lui, tout aussi ardent, tempérament excessif, impatient, exigeant, jaloux, jouant d’une voix de ténor certes, mais charnue et dense, de telle sorte qu’on a le sentiment d’entendre là deux forces vitales s’affronter.”
On August 6, 16, 20 and 27, Eric Cutler will perform the role of Erik in Der fliegende Holländer at the world-renown Bayreuth Festival. This marks his second engagement with the festival following his debut in the same role in 2021.
First seen last summer, Dmitri Tcherniakov’s modern production brings focus to the psychological trauma of the Dutchman. Included in the brilliant cast will be Thomas J. Mayer as Dutchman, Georg Zeppenfeld as Daland, Elisabeth Teige as Senta, Nadine Weissmann as Mary and Attilio Glaser as the Steersman. Maestra Oksana Lyniv returns to conduct the run.
On July 28 and 31, Eric Cutler appears as the Emperor in Richard Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten with Bayerische Staatsoper.
Krzysztof Warlikowski’s provocative staging of the enigmatic opera, first seen at the company in 2013, delves into the psyches of the two main couples and embraces the central theme of fertility with the use of children on stage throughout the production.
The all-star cast also includes Camilla Nylund as the Empress, Michaela Schuster as the Nurse, Michael Volle as Barak the Dyer and Nina Stemme as the Dyer’s Wife. Sebastian Weigle conducts.
On April 9 and 18, Eric Cutler will reprise the title role in Wagner’s Lohengrin at the prestigious Salzburg Easter Festival. This new production, co-produced with Vienna State Opera, has been envisioned by Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito and is set to be remounted in Vienna State Opera’s 2023-2024 season.
Sharing the stage with Mr. Cutler will be Hans-Peter König as Heinrich der Vogler, Jacquelyn Wagner as Elsa von Brabant, Martin Gantner as Friedrich von Telramund, Elena Pankratova as Ortrud and Markus Brück as Der Heerrufer. Staatskapelle Dresden and a trio of choirs (Dresden State Opera Choir, Salzburg Bach Choir, Salzburg State Theater Choir) will also appear under the baton of Christian Thielemann, who will finish his tenure as Artistic Director of the festival this year.
A radio broadcast will occur on Saturday April 9 at 19:30 on Ö1.
This January, Eric Cutler will perform the title role in Wagner’s Lohengrin at Staatsoper Hamburg. Conducted by the illustrious Kent Nagano, the opera will be presented in concert with the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra and the opera company’s chorus.
Quickly becoming one of the world’s leading Wagnerian tenors, Mr. Cutler made his debut as Lohengrin at Brussels’ La Monnaie which was featured on mezzo.tv.
Mr. Cutler will join a talented cast of artists including Simone Schneider as Elsa von Brabant, Wilhelm Schwinghammer as Heinrich der Vogler, Okka von der Damerau as Ortrud, John Lundgren as Friedrich von Telramund and Andrzej Dobber as Heerrufer.
Benjamin Brittens Oper „Peter Grimes” bewegt in einer Inszenierung von Christof Loy am Theater an der Wien. Das liegt auch an der fulminanten Darbietung von US-Tenor Eric Cutler.
Auf der Kippe stehen: Das beschreibt die Situation von Außenseiter Peter Grimes aus Benjamin Brittens beliebter Oper. Dieses Motiv findet sich auch im Bühnenbild der Inszenierung von Christof Loy im Theater an der Wien wieder. An einer steilen Rampe wurde ein Bett montiert, das in den Orchestergraben zu kippen droht. Die Premiere der Oper in drei Akten mit den expressiven und berühmten Orchesterzwischenspielen, die immer wieder auch konzertant aufgeführt werden, markierte 1945 den Beginn von Brittens Karriere als einer der prägendsten Opernkomponisten des 20. Jahrhunderts. Der titelgebende Part ist ein Marathon für jeden Tenor. Einerseits handwerklich, als auch psychologisch, wie der US-amerikanische Tenor Eric Cutler im Interview berichtet, der in Wien sein von der Kritik hochgelobtes Debüt in der Rolle gab.
Das Meer als Protagonist
BÜHNE: Peter Grimes gilt als eines der großen musikalischen Meisterwerke des 20. Jahrhunderts. Wie würden Sie jemanden, der sich mit Opern nicht wirklich auskennt beschreiben, warum das so ist?
Eric Cutler: Britten konnte damit eine harmonische und musikalische Sprache entwickeln, die unverwechselbar ist. Es gibt einfach niemanden, der so klingt. Man kann in der Musik hören, dass er lange Jahre an der Nordsee in Aldeburgh an der Ostküste Großbritanniens verbracht hat. Das Meer, der Wind, Stürme, diese Geräusche der Natur waren wohl immer in seinem Hinterkopf und eine ständige Begleitung in seinem Leben. Es ist eigentlich so, dass das Meer selbst ein zusätzlicher Charakter in seiner Oper ist.
Allegorie auf die Unterdrückung von Homosexuellen
BÜHNE: Sie arbeiten bereits zum dritten Mal mit Regisseur Christof Loy zusammen. Diesmal ist das Bühnenbild des Fischerdorfs, in dem Peter Grimes lebt, sehr reduziert. Was war seine Vision für diese Inszenierung?
Eric Cutler: Ja, wir sind mittlerweile gut befreundet. Christofs Wunsch war, die Geschichte von Peter als Außenseiter zu erzählen und wie er mit seiner Identität als Homosexueller ringt – und auch wie er um seinen Platz in der verschlossenen Dorfgemeinschaft kämpft. Es ist ein Blick auf die Geschichte von Peter, wie wir sie zuvor noch nicht gesehen haben.
Es ist bekannt, dass Britten selbst homosexuell war und die Rolle für seinen langjährigen Lebenspartner Peter Pears geschrieben hat. Durch das gesamte Stück ziehen sich subtile Hinweise auf seine sexuelle Orientierung. Aber ich glaube nicht, dass wir jemals eine Produktion gesehen haben, in der es explizit um ein Coming-Out geht.
BÜHNE: Diese emotionale Gratwanderung zeigt sich auch im Bühnenbild. Es sieht nicht ganz einfach aus, darauf zu spielen.
Eric Cutler: Die Bühne ist wie eine Black Box. Drei Wände sind hoch und schwarz. Der Boden ist eine Rampe, die für uns eine tatsächlich eine Herausforderung darstellt. Gleichzeitig profitieren die Zuseher:innen, da es dadurch keinen schlechten Sitzplatz im Haus gibt. Im Zentrum ist ein Bett. Es wirkt, als ob es gleich in den Orchestergraben fällt. Alles ist unglaublich minimalistisch und verdichtet.
Es macht große Freude, hier zu singen. Denn es ist insgesamt ein unglaublich tolles Ensemble. Das Publikum sollte wirklich diese Möglichkeit nutzen, Peter Grimes am Theater an der Wien zu erleben.
Emotionale Höchstleistung
BÜHNE: Apropos Herausforderung: Diese Rolle ist bekannt dafür, dass sie extrem strapaziös ist. Was macht Peter Grimes zu so schwierig?
Eric Cutler: Ich habe bereits sehr viel schwieriges Material gesungen (Cutler ist ein versierter Wagner-Interpret, Anm.). Ich würde gar nicht sagen, dass es die Länge ist. Für Lohengrin, Tannhäuser oder Tristan braucht man einen viel längeren Atem. Bei Peter Grimes spannt sich der Stimmumfang jedoch über zwei Oktaven.
Aber um ehrlich zu sein ist die Schwierigkeit von Peter Grimes nicht das Singen. Es ist das Gefühl. Diese tiefe Einsamkeit, die man fühlen muss, um in den Charakter einzutauchen. Er ist extrem isoliert. Ich wünschte auf eine Art oder Weise, dass ich ihn am Ende des Tages einfach wegpacken könnte. Aber ich nehme ihn mit nach Hause und lebe mit ihm und seiner gequälten Seele während der sechs Wochen dieser Produktion.
BÜHNE: Und nach so einen Projekt – wie schütteln Sie Rollen wie Peter Grimes wieder ab?
Eric Cutler: Ich plane gerne drei oder vier Wochen zwischen Projekten ein, ich kann nicht von Job zu Job springen. Und ich habe auch zwei kleine Kinder. Danach gehe ich also zurück in mein Familienleben. Und so wuselig und ereignisreich wie das ist, wird es mir hoffentlich nicht schwerfallen, Peter wieder loszulassen.
This month, Eric Cutler will make his highly anticipated title role debut in Britten’s Peter Grimes at Theater an der Wien. This revival of the award-winning 2015 production directed by Christof Loy was requested by Theater an der Wien’s audiences as it was voted as one of the top three productions by the company.
Taking place on October 16, 18, 20, 23 and 25, Mr. Cutler will share the stage with a fantastic cast of artists, including Gieorgij Puchalski as Peter’s new apprentice, Agneta Eichenholz as Ellen Orford, and Andrew Foster-Williams as Balstrode, among others. This dark and thrilling opera will also feature the Arnold Schoenberg Chor with the ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, under the baton of Thomas Guggeis.
Eric Cutler makes his highly anticipated debut at the Bayreuth Festival this month, starring as Erik in Wagner’s Der fliegende Holländer. The festival opens with this new production by Dmitri Tcherniakov, featuring Oksana Lyniv conducting a star-studded cast and the Choir and Orchestra of the Bayreuth Festival.
Performances will take place on July 25, 31, August 4, 7, 11, 14, & 20. Cutler is joined by a fantastic cast on stage, including John Lundgren as the title role, Asmik Grigorian as Senta, Georg Zeppenfeld as Daland, Marina Prudenskaya as Mary, and Attilio Glaser as The helmsman.
Cutler’s previous performance as Erik at the Houston Grand Opera garnered rave reviews with Theater Jones saying, “[Cutler] shows off a real leading man tenor voice perfectly suited to Wagner’s demanding music,” and Texas Classical Review praising, “[he] boasted a voice with ring and security.”
The premiere will be streamed live on 25 July at 6pm CEST via BR-KLASSIK.DE, with a live radio transmission beginning at 6pm via MDR KULTUR. The production will be available to stream via DG Stage, beginning on July 27 and available until 2 August. Additionally, the production will be broadcast live in selected cinemas across Germany. To find a cinema near you, click here.
Eric Cutler returns to the Teatro Real de Madrid to make his highly anticipated debut as the Prince in Christof Loy’s new production of Dvořak’s Rusalka. This magnificent production features set design by Johannes Leiacker, costume design by Ursula Renzenbrink, and lighting by Bernd Purkrabek.
Performances will take place on November 12, 14, 16, 22, 25, 27. Ivor Bolton conducts the Chorus and Orchestra of the Teatro Real, and a star-studded cast including Asmik Grigorian as the title role, Karita Mattila as Cizi Knezna, Maxim Kuzmin-Karavaev as Vodnik, and Katarina Dalayman as Ježibaba, among others.
Eric Cutler’s upcoming live performances as Florestan in a new production of Beethoven’s Fidelio at the Theater an der Wien have been canceled due to the COVID-19 virus*. Although all live performances for the public have been canceled, on Friday, March 20, the production will be aired beginning at 7pm CET 2pm ET on myfidelio.at and 10:30pm CET / 5:30pm ET on ORF2 HD. The production was also captured for a DVD release from UNITEL (Release Date TBA).
The internationally celebrated actor, two-time Oscar winner and director Christoph Waltz makes his directional debut in Vienna in this new Fidelio production.
The top-class leading team includes Manfred Honeck leading the Wiener Symphoniker and the Arnold Schoenberg Choir, with stage design by Barkow Leibinger, and costume design by Judith Holste. Joining Mr. Cutler on stage is Nicole Chevalier as Leonore, Gábor Bretz as Don Pizarro, Christof Fischesser as Rocco, Mélissa Petit as Marzelline, Benjamin Hulett as Jaquino, Károly Szemerédy as Don Fernando, Johannes Bamberger as Erster Gefangener, and Dumitru Mădăraşăn as Zweiter Gefangener.
*Cancellation statement from Theater an der Wien: “The coronavirus outbreak has resulted in significant restrictions on public life in Austria. The health authorities have banned indoor events with over 100 people until the beginning of April. Our box offices and theaters remain closed during this time.” For more information, click here.
Eric Cutler starts the new year off singing the title role in concert performances of Beethoven’s Fidelio with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Symphony’s tributes to Ludwig van Beethoven on the 250th anniversary of his birth with his only opera Fidelio. Under the baton of Manfred Honeck, performances will take place on January 24 and 26 at Heinz Hall.
Cutler shares the stage with an exciting roster of soloists, including Nicole Chevalier as Leonore, Alexander Elliott as Don Ferrando, Brian Mulligan as Don Pizarro, Wei Wu as Rocco, Rachele Gilmore as Marzelline, David Portillo as Jacquino, Thomas Shivone as Prisoner, and Don Marinelli as the narrator. Eric Cutler will revisit the title role in a new production by Christoph Waltz at the Theater an der Wien with Maestro Honeck in March.
“Hoffmann nel primo cast è interpretato dal tenore americano Eric Cutler, presenza scenica, voce melodiosa e potente, grandi doti anche d’attore, perfetto per il ruolo che ha, infatti, già interpretato più volte in passato.”
“Hoffmann in the first cast is played by the American tenor Eric Cutler, stage presence, melodious and powerful voice, great acting skills too, perfect for the role he has, in fact, already played many times in the past.”
“Cutler gave us a career-defining performance in the title role of tremendous psychological insight. He brought out so much detail in the text – whether a Klein-Zack of haunted desperation, shading the tone masterfully as he sang ‘ah! Sa figure était charmante’. He made his ‘Ah! Vivre deux’ in the Olympia act less a honeyed seduction and more a desperate need to have this figure, whether woman or machine. Cutler had room to spare in the Giulietta act, singing with ardent generosity, the voice pealing out with obsessive glee. Both in his vocalism and his acting, Cutler gave unsparingly of himself to us.”
Eric Cutler closes out the year with his return to La Monnaie in the title role of Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann. With performances on December 10, 14, 17, 20, 29 & January 2, Alain Altinoglu conducts director Krzysztof Warlikowski’s production.
Mr. Cutler’s previous portrayal as Hoffmann at the Teatro Real de Madrid garnered critical acclaim from Gramophone for his vocal “ease, elegance, and passion.” His performance in Madrid was recorded and released on DVD by Bel Air Classiques in 2015, more information, and purchase links are available via Cutler’s Recordings.
In this opéra fantastique by Jacques Offenbach, the writer E.T.A. Hoffmann is the protagonist who wanders through three of his own stories. Cutler will share the stage with a sparkling roster of artists, including Patricia Petibon as Olympia, Antonia, Giulietta and Stella, Michèle Losier as Nicklausse, and La Muse, and Gábor Bretz as the Four Villains. Mr. Cutler will reprise the role of Hoffmann later this season at the Semperoper Dresden in April 2020.